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[ noun ] a humorous anecdote or remark
Used in print (Chicago Daily Tribune...)His addle-brained knight-errant , self appointed to the ridiculous position in an age when armor had already been relegated to museums and the chivalrous code of knight-errantry had become a joke , is , as Cervantes no_doubt intended , a gaunt but gracious symbol of good , moving soberly and sincerely in a world of cynics , hypocrites and rogues . (Howard Nemerov, "Themes and Methods: The Early...)The horrifying humor , the specifically sexual embarrassment of the joke gone_wrong , the monstrous image of the fat man dressed_up as a whore dressing_up as a baby ; the epiphany of that quivering flesh ; the bringing_together around it of the secret liaison between indolent , mindless sensuality and sharp , shrewd talent , cleverness with an occasional touch of genius ( which , however , does not know `` how to attack the problem of suffering '' ) ; the miraculous way in which music , revelation and death are associated in a single instant - all this seems a triumph of art , a rather desperate art , in itself ; beyond itself , also , it evokes numerous and distant resonances from the entire body of Mann 's work . (J. H. Hexter, "Thomas More: On the Margins...)Secondly , to find a learned diversion and a pleasing joke in More 's account of the stupid brutalities of early sixteenth century wars , of the anguish of the poor and dispossessed , of the insolence and cruelty of the rich and powerful requires a callousness toward suffering and sin that would be surprising in a moral imbecile and most surprising in More himself . (Jane Gilmore Rushing, "Against the Moon,"...)This joke was not funny to Linda_Kay , and she blushed , as she always did ; then , hearing the muffled boom of Howard 's laughter , blushed redder . (James Thurber, "The Future, If Any, of Comedy,"...)We now have not_only what has been called over here the comedy of menace but we also have horror jokes , magazines known as Horror_Comics , and sick comedians . |
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[ verb ] tell a joke; speak humorously
Synonyms Examples "He often jokes even when he appears serious" Used in print (Morley Callaghan, A Passion in Rome....)Let 's be fine superior people of great dignity '' , he said as if he were joking . Related terms |
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[ noun ] activity characterized by good humor
Synonyms Used in print (Ralph J. Salisbury, "On the Old Santa Fe Trail...)The way his red rubber lips were stretched across his pearly little teeth I though he was only having a little joke , but , no , he wanted me to bend down from the roar of wind so he could roar something into my ear . Related terms |
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[ noun ] a ludicrous or grotesque act done for fun and amusement
Used in print (Chicago Daily Tribune...)The episode in which Sancho_Panza concludes the joke that is played on him when he is facetiously put in command of an `` island '' is one of the best in the film . Related terms |
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[ noun ] a triviality not to be taken seriously
Examples "I regarded his campaign for mayor as a joke" Related terms |
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